Thank goodness Mitch Rapp is back...
I needed this. I've been in something of a “book slump” recently.
Have you ever been in a book slump? As a reader, it can be a frustrating thing.
I always have a book in hand, and I like to feel like I'm making progress in my reading goals each year. But sometimes I just get stuck — and can’t seem to finish anything.
Since I started reading Vince Flynn's venerable Mitch Rapp series back in 2006, the novels have become “go to” stories that serve as a “literary elixir” for me.
But when you are all caught up with a series, you have to wait patiently — with eager anticipation — to see what the next book will bring.
This year’s entry — “Oath of Loyalty” — just arrived in the form of an advance reader copy as part of my participation in the “Mitch Rapp Ambassador” program.
It couldn’t come soon enough.
“Oath of Loyalty” follows “tip of the spear” operator Rapp as he deals with the aftermath of events in 2021’s “Enemy at the Gates” (read my review).
Our hero has a lot on his plate (both literally and figuratively) in this novel.
As the story begins, Rapp is dealing with the aftermath of a tense (and tragic) showdown with a long-time colleague.
President Anthony Cook is hellbent on nullifying the perceived threat Rapp poses to his administration.
In addition, various assassins-for-hire (including a new player known only as “Legion”) are on the trail of our protagonist and his make-shift family — former assassin Claudia Gould and her daughter Anna (named after Rapp’s deceased wife).
Author Kyle Mills keeps the focus primarily on Rapp in this outing, dishing up a thriller with healthy portions of our hero's domestic life.
“Oath of Loyalty” illustrates Mills’ range in the genre as he ratchets up the narrative intrigue.
Instead of macro-level events seen in recent entries — such as a pandemic-level threat in “Lethal Agent” (read my review) or a mass power outage in “Total Power” (read my review) — smaller moments fuel the suspense in “Oath of Loyalty.”
(If you ever wondered if “household errands” could be fodder for building tension in a thriller novel, wonder no more.)
In that regard, the novel has a kinship with 2008’s “Extreme Measures” and 2009’s “Pursuit of Honor” — shedding light on the pitfalls of mixing a family with a career in espionage.
There is also an undercurrent running through “Oath of Loyalty” that echoes the political climate fueling unrest in the United States today.
Mills alludes to the concept of a world where global power is accumulated by a loose alliance of dictators throwing their weight around — an environment where weakness and compromise aren’t tolerated.
President Cook hopes to be at the helm of this new world order.
One of the returning players introduced in "Enemy at the Gates" is trillionaire Nicholas Ward (described by Mills in interviews as a cross between Elon Musk and Bill Gates) who has a foundation dedicated to solving the world’s ills.
Mills (yet again) proves to be prescient as it regards the power, influence, and controversy he imbued in Ward.
In the intervening year since the publication of “Enemy at the Gates,” we’ve watched as Elon Musk has become the world’s wealthiest person, attempted to purchase Twitter, and become a political lightning rod in the process.
In the same vein, there is a subtext in “Oath of Loyalty” that hints at Ward working to build his sphere of influence. The question posed is whether or not the trillionaire (with his vast resources) could reshape the world in a way that governments are incapable of doing.
It will be fascinating to see what Mills has in store for that character in the future — and how his relationship with Rapp evolves.
Mills has been adept at shifting the course of Mitch Rapp’s future in incremental steps through eight novels. What we have in “Oath of Loyalty” is a protagonist who has more depth and nuance than he did in the early entries in this series.
Rapp’s future is hazy, and that uncertainty presents a variety of interesting opportunities for Mills going forward.
I’m curious to see how things develop!
A key aspect of Mills’ work in the Mitch Rapp series (since taking over for Vince Flynn after the author’s death in 2013) is his effortless prose.
Mills (an author known for crafting detailed outlines prior to writing) is an underrated wordsmith. There is a readability factor in his work that elevates the overall pace and keeps you turning the pages.
As the years progress, I become more convinced that “how” a book is written is just as important as “what” the book is about (maybe more).
In the case of “Oath of Loyalty,” the symbiosis between the craftsmanship and plot is terrific. That one-two punch might make this Mills’ most enjoyable novel yet!
As I mentioned earlier, I received an advance copy of “Oath of Loyalty” as part of the “Mitch Rapp Ambassador” program. If you are interested in learning more about the program — and learning more about the Mitch Rapp series — head over to the official website for additional details.
I mean, you might someday find yourself featured on the site (like I was in 2019).
It’s also worth following the official Vince Flynn Twitter and Facebook accounts if you haven’t done so. In addition to the “Mitch Rapp Ambassador” program, there are other fun giveaways and contests throughout the year.
I’ve pre-ordered my copy of “Oath of Loyalty” in hardcover. You can order your copy here. It will arrive Sept. 13, 2022.
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